Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me
by Divine Sally Bowles
Summary: Mid-S4 fluffy oneshot. Haley's pregnancy hormones lead to a clown nightmare, and Nathan finds himself unable to take comforting her seriously. Joking and tickling ensue.


**A/N - Hi, everyone! This little piece was inspired by the preview clip for 8x06, in which Haley is terrified by Chuck's clown mask. In order to avoid homework and to take a break from my angsty Naley fic, I decided to write a fluff piece set in mid-S4 (post 4x10 and 11) in which Nathan attempts to keep a straight face while comforting Haley after a clown nightmare. I hope you all enjoy my random fluff! Please review if you can! :)**

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Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me

It was 2:30 in the morning and his wife wasn't next to him when he woke up. Haley had never been a night owl, and she certainly hadn't been one since they'd learned of the pregnancy. Fatigue had kept her down most days after school, when she didn't have cheer practice. Even now, with her leg in a cast, she still managed to be asleep by half past twelve.

So it was out of the ordinary for her to be awake at this hour, and it got him worried. Her morning sickness was mostly subsiding, but he still worried about her in general. He knew how close they'd come to losing the baby two weeks ago. Concerned, he got out of the bed, going into the hallway in his boxers and going into the living room.

He found Haley wide awake on the couch, curled up with her legs touching her stomach, her hands wrapped around a pint of cookie dough ice cream. She looked at him miserably as he sat on the far end of the couch, pointing her spoon at him. "You. I hate you!"

"Hales, we've been over this whole 'it takes two to tango' thing. You can't say you hate me for getting you pregnant." He was smirking as he ducked the slap she aimed at him. "Why do you hate me? And why are you still awake?"

"I hate you for that stupid clown picture you put up when I moved out. Brooke put it in the closet when she moved in. I found it yesterday when I was looking for something. And now it gave me a stupid nightmare and I can't sleep. It's not funny!" she added, when Nathan started laughing so hard he nearly doubled over. She swatted his arm and hugged the pint of cookie dough closer.

"I can't help it," Nathan managed to say once he got his breath back. "You're eighteen years old and you're still afraid of clowns. Enough to have nightmares?"

"The doctor said it happens during pregnancy. Something about hormone levels." She sucked on the spoon with the ice cream. "It's still your fault. The pregnancy and the nightmares." She pouted, but he could tell she wanted to smirk.

"Come here." He reached over and pulled her into his arms, resting his hands on her stomach as she settled against him, propping her bad leg on a throw pillow. "Why're you even afraid of clowns, anyway?"

"Brandon left a copy of _It_ in his room when I was about eight," she said, referring to her oldest brother. "My dad gave it to him one year to read around Halloween. It was there, I'd read all my books, and it was a Friday night, so I started reading…"

"So you brought this on yourself."

"Shut up, I did not! I would have been fine if Quinn and Taylor hadn't snuck into my room that night wearing clown masks. My mom woke up to me screaming bloody murder. But she couldn't ground them without laughing."

"See, you're smiling, too. Admit it, you think it's funny."

"It is not funny!" Haley repeated, though she leaned up and kissed his lips, smiling. "I can go to sleep if you promise to hold me the whole rest of the night. And to buy me more ice cream in the morning."

"How fast do you eat? I just got you that yesterday!"

"I'm eating for two; I'm entitled." Haley nuzzled his cheek with her nose. "No mocking the pregnant girl."

Nathan got up, holding out his hands to her and helping her up. She limped back into the bedroom on her crutches, settling back into the bed and getting under the covers. When Nathan went to get in, she shook her head. "No. You have to check the closets and under the bed."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. Our son is going to make you do this in the future."

"No son of mine is going to be wimpy enough to be afraid of clowns."

"I am not wimpy!" Haley objected, and he reached up to tickle her as he checked under the bed. She squealed a little and laughed, tickling him back until he surrendered and joined her on the bed, holding her as promised.

"I kinda love you, Nathan Scott," she murmured as she was about to doze off, kissing his arm. "You and your stupid clown picture."

"I kinda love you, too, Haley James," he laughed, kissing the top of her head. "You and your irrational fear of clowns. 'Night, Hales."

"'Night, Nathan."


End file.
